Quant Concepts: Session 1: DS Traps + Inequalities

Part 1: Data Sufficiency

Directions: Each data sufficiency problem consists of a question and two statements, labeled (1) and (2), which
contain certain data. Using these data and your knowledge of mathematics and everyday facts (such as the number
of days in July or the meaning of the word counterclockwise), decide whether the data given are sufficient for
answering the question and then indicate one of the following answer choices:
A. Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient.
B. Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient.
C. BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient.
D. EACH statement ALONE is sufficient.
E. Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are not sufficient.

Note: In data sufficiency problems that ask for the value of a quantity, the data given in the statements are sufficient
only when it is possible to determine exactly one numerical value for the quantity.

Numbers: All numbers used are real numbers.

Figures:
(1) Figures conform to the information given in the question, but will not necessarily conform to the
additional information given in statements (1) and (2).
(2) Lines shown as straight are straight, and lines that appear jagged are also straight.
(3) The positions of points, angles, regions, etc., exist in the order shown, and angle measures are greater
than zero.
(4) All figures lie in a plane unless otherwise indicated.

DS Traps / Techniques:

Simplify the question to the absolute basics translate information as to what the question seeks to ask. Most
of the DS questions can be simplified.
Do not assume anything. For example, if a number is not mentioned to be an integer, dont assume it to be
so.
In geometrical figures, do not assume that a figure is what it looks like. If it is not mentioned that two lines
are parallel, dont assume so. If a figure looks like a square but is not mentioned to be so, please do not
assume it to be so.
While evaluating Statement (2), dont mentally carry forward the information from Statement (1) to
Statement (2). Statement (2) is independent of Statement (1) and vice-versa.
In WHAT questions, a unique numerical value is required. There should be NO AMBIGUITY.
In IS or Does type of questions, you must get a unique YES or a unique NO. There should be NO
AMBIGUITY.
An unambiguous NO is as acceptable as an unambiguous YES.
Intentionally try to create a yes / no situation: dont try to prove or disprove alone you should
try both.
There is no need to calculate the answer in most cases. Avoid calculations, wherever possible.
In a WHAT question, if two statements are not independently sufficient, but, on combining, result in a
unique common value, then the common value will be the answer.
The two statements never contradict each other.
In questions involving the solving of two simultaneous equations, usually only one statement will be sufficient.

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 Some Sample DS Questions

1. If $1,000 is deposited in a certain bank account and remains in the account along with any accrued interest, the
dollar amount of interest, I, earned by deposit in the first n years is given by I = 1,000 ((1+r/100)n 1), where r
percent is the annual interest rate paid by the bank. Is the annual interest
interest rate paid by the bank greater than
8%?
(1) The deposit earns a total of $210 in interest in the first 2 years. (2) (1+r/100)2 > 1.15

2. On the number line shown, is zero halfway between r and s? rst

(1) s is right to the zero
(2) The distance between t and r is the same as the distance between t and (s)
(

3. The integers m and p are such that p > m > 2, and m is not a factor of p. If r is the remainder when p is divided
by m, is r > 1?
(1) the greatest common factor of m and p is 2 (2) the least common multiple of m and p is 30

4. If x, y, and z are integers and xy + z is an odd integer, is x an even integer?

(1) xy + xz is an even integer (2) y + xz is an odd integer

5. A construction company was paid a total of $500,000 for a construction project.

project. The companys only costs for the
project were for labor and materials. Was the companys profit for the project greater than 150,000?
(1) The companys total cost was three times its cost for materials.
(2) The companys profit was greater than its
i cost for labor.

6. Is P/Q a terminating decimal?

(1) P is a factor of 100 (2) Q is a factor of 100

7. If ab 0 and points (a, b) and (b,

b, a) are in the same quadrant of the xyplane,
xy plane, is point (x,
( y) in this same
quadrant? (1) xy > 0 (2) ax > 0

8. What is the length of segment BC?

(1) Angle ABC is 90 degrees. (2) The area of the triangle is 30.

9. At least 100 students at a certain high school study Japanese. If 4 percent of the students at the school who
study French also study Japanese, do more students at the school study French than Japanese?
(1) 16 students at the school study both French and Japanese.
(2) 10 percent of the students at the school who study Japanese also study French.

10. What is the value of x?

(1) X3 is a 2-digit
digit positive odd integer. (2) X4 is a 2-digit
digit positive odd integer.

11. Is x negative? (1) X2 is positive. (2) X3 is non-positive.

12. Is z even? (1) 5z is even. (2) 3z is even.

13. If a and b are both positive integers, is ba+1 bab odd?

(1) a + (a + 4) + (a 8) + (a + 6) + (a ( 10) is odd (2) b3 + 3b2 + 5b
5 + 7 is odd

14. Is n/18 an integer? (1) 5n/18 is an integer. (2) 3n/18 is an integer.

15. The sum of n consecutive positive integers is 45. What is the value of n?
(1) n is even (2) n < 9

a bought several pencils. If each pencil was either a 23-cent

16. Marta 23 pencil or a 21-cent
cent pencil, how many 23-cent
23
pencils did Marta buy?
(1) Marta bought a total of 6 pencils. (2) The total value of the pencils Marta bought was 130 cents.

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17. Is the measure of one of the interior angles of quadrilateral ABCD equal to 60 degrees?
(1) Two of the interior angles of ABCD are right angles
(2) The degree measure of angle ABC is twice the degree measure of angle BCD

18. What is the perimeter of isosceles triangle ABC?

(1) The length of side AB is 9 (2) The length of side BC is 4

19. For a circle with center point P, cord XY is the perpendicular bisector of radius AP (A is a point on the edge of the
circle). What is the length of cord XY?
(1) The circumference of circle P is twice the area of circle P. (2) The length of Arc XAY = 2/3.

20. If points A and B are on the yaxis in the figure, what is the area of equilateral triangle ABC?

(1) Coordinates of point B are (0, 53). (2) Coordinates of point C are (6, 33).

21. Is the area of a right angled triangle greater than 25 square feet?
(1) One of the perpendicular sides is 6 feet. (2) The largest side is 10 feet.

22. What is the sum of the digits of the positive integer n where n < 99?
(1) n is divisible by the square of y. (2) y4 is a two-digit positive odd integer.

23. Joanna bought only $0.15 stamps and $0.29 stamps. How many $0.15 stamps did she buy?
(1) She bought an equal number of $0.15 stamps and $0.29 stamps.
(2) She bought $4.40 worth of stamps.

24. If x is a positive integer, is x! + (x + 1) a prime number? (1) x < 10 (2) x is even

25. Guests at a recent party ate a total of fifteen hamburgers. Each guest who was neither a student nor a vegetarian
ate exactly one hamburger. No hamburger was eaten by any guest who was a student, a vegetarian, or both. If
half of the guests were vegetarians, how many guests attended the party?
(1) The vegetarians attended the party at a rate of 2 students to every 3 nonstudents, half the rate for non
vegetarians.
(2) 30% of the guests were vegetarian nonstudents.

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 Part 2: Inequalities

Key Concepts:

1. If a > b, then am > bm for m > 0 and am < bm for m < 0, that is, when we multiply both sides of inequality by
a negative quantity, the sign of inequality is reversed. Do not cancel anything from both sides of an inequality
unless you are sure that the cancelled quantity is positive, so ax > ay does not necessarily mean x > y, etc.

2. The concept of number line is very useful in checking inequalities. The common values to check are x = 0, 1, 1,
>1 (preferred value = 2), between 0 and 1 (preferred value = 1/2), between 1 and 0 (preferred value = 1/2),
and less than 1 (preferred value = 2). So in short, there are 7 points: 2, 1, 1/2, 0, 1/2, 1, 2.

3. If (x a) (x b) < 0, then x lies between a and b. OR a < x < b. If (x a) (x b) > 0, then x lies outside a and
b. OR x < a, x > b.

4. If x2 > x, then either x > 1 or x is negative (x < 0).

5. If x2 < x, then x lies between 0 and 1. (0 < x < 1).
6. If x2 = x, then x = 0 or x = 1.
7. If x3 > x, then either x > 1 or x is between 1 and 0 (either x > 1 or 1 < x < 0).
8. If x3 < x, then either x lies between 0 and 1 or x is less than 1. (Either 0 < x < 1 or x < 1)
9. If x3 = x, then x = 0 or x = 1 or x = 1.
10. If x3 = x, then x = 0 or x = 1 or x = 1.
11. If x > y, it is not necessary that x2 > y2 or etc. So, even powers cant be predicted.
12. If x > y, it is necessarily true that x3 > y3 or etc. So, odd powers and roots dont change sign.
13. ab > 0 means a/b > 0 and vice versa. The two are of the same sign.
14. ab < 0 means a/b < 0 and vice versa. The two are of the opposite sign.
15. If X is positive, then
(1) (a + X) / (b + X) > a/b if a < b (2) (a + X) / (b + X) < a/b if a > b

Problems:

1. Is x4 + y4 > z4? (1) x2 + y2 > z2 (2) x + y > z

2. If x is positive which of the following could be correct ordering of 1/x, 2x, x2?
I. x2 < 2x < 1/x II. x2 < 1/x < 2x III. 2x < x2 < 1/x
A. None B. I Only C. III Only D. I and II only E. I, II & III

3. If x is not equal to y, is (x y) / (x + y) > 1? (1) x > 0 (2) y < 0

4. If x > y2 > z4, which of the following statements could be true?

I. x > y > z II. z > y > x III. x > z > y
A. I only B. I and II only C. I and III only D. II and III only E. I, II, and III

5. If p, q, r, and s are consecutive integers, with p < q < r < s, is pr < qs? (1) pq < rs (2) ps < qr

6. Is M + Z > 0 (1) M 3Z > 0 (2) 4Z M > 0

7. A certain jar contains only "b" black marbles, "w" white marbles and "r" red marbles. If one marble is to be
chosen at random from the jar, is the probability that the marble chosen is red greater than the probability
that the marble chosen will be white?
(1) r / (b + w) > w / (b + r) (2) b w > r

8. If k is not equal to 0, 1, or 1, is 1/k > 0? (1) 1 / (k 1) > 0 (2) 1 / (k + 1) > 0

9. If m > 0 and n > 0, is (m + x) / (n + x) > m / n? (1) m < n (2) x > 0

10. The numbers x and y are not integers. The value of x is closest to which integer?
(1) 4 is the integer that is closest to x + y (2) 1 is the integer that is closest to x y

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11. Are x and y both positive (1) 2x 2y = 1 (2) x/y >1

12. If 500 is the multiple of 100 that is closest to X and 400 is the multiple of 100 closest to Y, then which
multiple of 100 closest to X + Y? (1) X < 500 (2) Y < 400

13. Is 1 / p > r/(r2 + 2) (1) p = r (2) r > 0

14. Is X + Y < 1? (1) X < 8 / 9 (2) Y < 1 / 8

15. Is x y + 1 greater than x + y 1? (1) x > 0 (2) y < 0

16. Is z the median of any 3 positive integers x, y and z? (1) x < y + z (2) y = z

17. On the number line, the distance between x and y is greater than the distance between x and z. Does z lie
between x and y on the number line? (1) xyz < 0 (2) xy < 0

18. One kilogram of a certain coffee brand consists of x kilograms of Type I coffee and y kilograms of Type II
coffee. The cost of the brand is C dollars per kilogram, where C = 6.5x + 8.5y. Is x < 0.8?
(1) y 0.15 (2) C 7.30

19. If mv < pv < 0, is v > 0? (1) m < p (2) m < 0

20. Is x > y? (1) x2 > y (2) x < y

21. If n is a nonzero integer, is xn < 1? (1) x > 1 (2) n > 0

22. If x is an integer, is 3x less than 500? (1) 4x1 < 4x 120 (2) x2 = 36

23. Is x > 1010 ? (1) x > 234 (2) x = 235

24. Is XY>0? 1). XY>2 2). X2Y<6

25. If x and y are integers and xy does not equal 0, is xy < 0? (1) y = x4 x3 (2) 12y2 y2x + x2y2 > 0

26. Is x > y? (1) x > y (2) x3 > y

27. If r + s > 2t, is r > t ? (1) t > s (2) r > s

28. If p < q and p < r, is (p)(q)(r) < p? (1) pq < 0 (2) pr < 0

29. Is 5n < 0.04? (1) (1/5)n > 25 (2) n3 < n2

30. Is p2q > pq2? (1) pq < 0 p<0

31. Is m > n ? (1) n m + 2 > 0 (2) n m 2 > 0

32. Is 3p > 2q ? (1) q = 2p (2) q > 0

33. Is mp greater than m? (1) m > p > 0 (2) p is less than 1

34. Is 2X3Y< X2? 1). 2X3Y=2 2). X>2 and Y>0

35. Each employee of Company Z is an employee of either Division X or Division Y, but not both. If each division
has some parttime employees, is the ratio of the number of fulltime employees to the number of parttime
employees greater for Division X than for Company Z?
(1) The ratio of the number of fulltime employees to the number of parttime employees is less for Division
Y than for Company Z.
(2) More than half the fulltime employees of Company Z are employees of Division X, and more than half of
the parttime employees of Company Z are employees of Division Y.

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Answers to Inequalities

1. E
2. D
3. E
4. E
5. A
6. C
7. A
8. A
9. C
10. E
11. C
12. E
13. C
14. E
15. B
16. B
17. E
18. B
19. D
20. E
21. C
22. C
23. D
24. C
25. E
26. C
27. D
28. E
29. A
30. C
31. B
32. C
33. C
34. D
35. D

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